Displaying items by tag: Christians Killed

Following the killing of 21 Christians and critical injuries to ten more in the Plateau by Fulani militants, believers are increasingly at risk and calling for action from leaders. The violence erupted when Fulani herdsmen set buildings alight in Heipang, an area where many displaced Christians from surrounding villages have been staying. Masara Kim, a Jos journalist, told a Catholic charity that after setting the houses ablaze, they aimed their assault rifles at those trying to flee from the fires. He said, ‘About half of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. At least five of them were infants. It was a heartbreaking scene to witness. They were given a mass burial in a rain-soaked mass grave. These are poor villagers who do not even have money for food, much less for coffins. There were witnesses, but authorities failed to identify the perpetrators.’

Violence against Christians returned in January, with more believers killed or kidnapped almost every day. Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians on 22 January, in northeast Nigeria, following the slaughter of twelve believers the previous Friday. In a predominantly Christian area of Bauchi state, residents said militant herdsmen attacked one community, killing five Christians and kidnapping another. The area has been attacked by Islamist terrorists and Fulani herdsmen for several years and many villages have been destroyed, driving Christian survivors to other parts of Nigeria. On 20 January Fulani invaded another predominantly Christian community and killed twelve believers. On the 17th five Christians were killed, and Christians are under siege following kidnappings and attacks. Release International is raising awareness about this ongoing persecution. ‘Out of these ashes’ will be launched in April to inform UK Christians and encourage them to pray for those suffering for Christ in Nigeria.

On 30 July Islamist militants beheaded two Christian men during an attack on a minibus in northern Mozambique in Cabo Delgado. IS of Mozambique, known locally as al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the killings: its statement declared, ‘By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate killed two Christians, beheading them, and shooting them with weapons.’ In June IS beheaded several Christians in Cabo Delgado, and another during a raid on a Christian village in Nampula. Cabo Delgado is called ‘the Land of Fear’ owing to persistent brutal violence meted out against both Christians and moderate Muslims over several years. Pray that the Lord will comfort the family and friends of the Christians so brutally murdered. Ask that the violence perpetrated against Christians and moderate Muslims by IS militants will come to an end, that the LORD will rescue His people from their powerful enemy, from their foes who confront them.

For twenty years Nigerian Christians have suffered attack after attack, with little to no response from the largely Muslim government. Anti-Christian violence is often swept under the carpet. On 20 March community members had just finished their church worship when armed insurgents arrived with sophisticated weapons, an eyewitness told International Christian Concern. ‘Twenty-five people were killed and over 100 houses burnt down.’ He added that the evening attack occurred from 7 to 10 pm, without any intervention by the Nigerian army. The total number of casualties is yet to be released. ‘We are now hiding, our church and houses burnt; we are sleeping outside tonight’, said another eyewitness. Nigeria is one of the worst countries in the world for persecution. Due to violent terrorist groups and government indifference, tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced.

Gabriel Ole, an elder in Bangui Baptist church, worked for UNICEF. He was killed in a violent ambush in the Central African Republic (CAR), along with two officials from the ministry of education and three UNICEF workers travelling to Markounda near the north-western border with Chad. Some of the victims were shot dead, others had their throats slit. Their car was torched. CAR’s prime minister, Simplice Matthieu Sarandji, honoured the victims during his visit on 6 March when he said, ‘School is the key to developing a country. Any attack against teachers is a crime against the education of our children’. Pray for an end to senseless acts against aid workers who are only there to improve the lives of vulnerable people. Pray for those mourning the loss of loved ones.

On 5 November Devin Kelley killed 26 worshippers in a Texas church. Pray for the Sutherland Springs community trying to cope with the tragedy. Pastor Frank Pomeroy knew Kelley as ‘not a good person’ but said, 'How do I turn him away?' Kelley had a violent history that was left out of a gun background check system. Pray for the such checking systems to be fit for purpose. Kelley left the air force in 2014 with a bad conduct discharge and the air force has previously requested a broader review of criminal record reporting across the defence department. The FBI said that there were missing records, bad procedures, and faulty reporting in the air force’s dishonourable discharge records. See https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/06/texas-shooting-suspect-devin-kelley-domestic-abuse-background-check

Al-Shabaab fighters killed four Christian men in a village in Lamu county on 17 August. Three were hacked to death with machetes; the fourth was burned inside his home. Al-Shabaab surpasses Boko Haram as Africa's deadliest terror group. Christian pastors from the region revealed that the victims left the safety of camps to check on their homes and crops despite the warnings by Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s president. He had urged families to remain at displacement camps as the army attempts to eradicate the terrorist threat. The village chief admitted that the ‘desperation’ in the camps is making people return to their villages despite government orders. Christians in the camps are asking the global community to remember them in prayer. They need food, shelter, water, medicine, sanitary pads and soap.